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this post claims DBS is an "invalid treatment" for PD and that there is "little, if any" failure of cord blood transplant for PD. Wow!!! Ray Q. What is Parkinsonism ? A. Parkinsonism may be primary (classic or idiopathic), or secondary to other conditions (OPCD, Shy-Drager, PSP, etc.). In all forms, there is a gradual loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells, located in the mid-brain. Q. Is Parkinson's disease (PD) known by any other alternate name ? A. Yes. Shaking palsy; Paralysis agitans; Lewy-body disease are other names for PD. Q. What is the rate of Parkinson's disease in USA ? A. At any given time, 4 people with Parkinson's disease are found per 1,000 population (rate of prevalence). Estimates of prevalence rate are more or less the same throughout the world, with over 6 million PD cases. Q. Does Parkinson's disease occur in children ? If yes, is it due to degeneration of the brain part that produces dopamine, or are there other reasons ? A. The youngest age, cited in the literature for Parkinson's disease, is 14 years. Yes, any insult that affects the relative loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells may result in Parkinson's disease. Q. Are there any signs or tests for Parkinson's disease ? A. Tremors (shakes) are usually the first concern patient has. Soon, rigidity (muscle stiffness) and slow walk (dragging feet) usually accompany tremors (Classic Triad comprises Tremors, Rigidity, and Slow movements). Q. What is the cause of Parkinson's disease ? Is it hereditary ? A. Environmental, or genetic, or combination of both are suspected in the dopamine-producing nerve cell death in the mid-brain. However, it is NOT a hereditary disorder; it is an "acquired" condition. Q. Is there any preventive measure for Parkinson's disease ? A. Not knowing the factors responsible for PD makes it unlikely to prevent it from occurring. Q. What are the various symptoms of Parkinson's disease ? A. Tremors, shakes, rigidity, stiffness, slow movements, dragging feet, unstable walk, mask-like face, minimal facial expressions, slurred-slow speech, monotonous speech, drooling, dripping saliva, involuntary movements of the head and limbs. Q. What is bradykinesia ? A. Slow movements (brady = slow; kinesia = motion). Q. Are tremors, muscle stiffness (rigidity), slow movements sure signs of Parkinson's disease ? A. Most probably (Classic Triad). Q. Up to what age is the cell transplant for Parkinson's disease recommended ? A. It depends on the length of duration of PD, requires consideration of patient's general health, medical and surgical history, life outlook, family structure, spiritual and religious beliefs, willingness, etc. A successful cell transplant was performed in a 79 year-old patient who has had a PD diagnosis for 15 years. Q. What are the stem cells ? Where are they found ? A. Stem cells are cells that can multiply to produce: either, more cells like themselves; or, cells of different specific types. Since stem cells are NOT fully differentiated (mature), they can reconstitute multiple tissues. Possible sources of stem cells include adult stem cells (bone marrow, peripheral blood, skin, urinary bladder, retina, limbus of the eye); fetal stem cells; embryonic stem cells; and umbilical cord blood stem cells. Q. What is the percentage of failure in the cord blood stem cell transplant for Parkinson's disease ? A. Little, if any. Q. What are the other medical conditions cord blood is used for ? A. Cord blood (stem cells) have multiple clinical applications, such as leukemia, thalassemia, diabetes, multiple sclerosis (MS); and gene therapy in various drug-resistance (antibiotic abuse) settings. Q. What is DBS ? A. DBS is Deep Brain Stimulation. In DBS, battery-operated electrodes over-stimulate a "non-pathology" brain part to treat Parkinson's disease. Q. What does DBS electrode implant mean ? A. In DBS, a battery-operated fine metal electrode, on each side (right and left) of the brain is implanted into a "non-pathology" brain part to treat Parkinson's disease. Q. Is DBS electrode implant not a permanent cure for the Parkinson's disease ? If not, why ? A. NO. DBS electrode implant is an invalid treatment for the Parkinson's disease. Because, DBS electrode implant can NEITHER produce dopamine by itself, NOR can stimulate dopamine secretion in the dead nerve cells. S.A.K. Wilson had already shown the ablation (i.e., DBS inhibition) of the so-called 'over-functioning' region did not help in PD. Oral 'in-take' of Dopamine is therefore REQUIRED by the patient for a life-time, even AFTER the DBS electrode implant. Q. What is dopamine ? A. Dopamine is a chemical substance, produced by the nerve cells, that mediates inactivation (inhibition) of acetylcholine in normal subjects. Q. Why is oral in-take of dopamine harmful when it is in fact secreted by the brain, itself ? A. Because oral in-take of dopamine is carried by the blood to all parts of the body, including the brain; resulting in side-effects. Normal secretion of dopamine by the nerve cells is discretely localized for the fine movement control. Q. How are the doses of dopamine measured ? A. Blood-dopamine levels can be obtained in a pathology laboratory. Q. How much of dopamine is secreted by the brain ? A. Dopamine secretion is regulated by the brain, based on the physiological demands. Q. Is oral in-take of dopamine effective throughout the patient's life ? A. NO. Oral in-take of dopamine gradually wears off and causes side-effects. Q. What is "wearing-off" effect ? A. Effect of oral in-take of dopamine lasts about 6 hours initially; then only 3 hours after 2 years' and only 2 hours after 5 years' use. (Take a "drug-holiday" - i.e., taper off over 3-4 days with lower doses on resumption. Do not stop the oral dose suddenly.) Q. What are the side-effects of the oral in-take of dopamine ? A. Over the years, oral in-take of dopamine gradually causes side-effects, such as psychiatric disturbances (hallucinations), involuntary choreic movements of the head and limbs, hypertension, etc. Q. What is "on-off" phenomenon in Parkinson's disease ? A. In this stage, patient suddenly worsens for about 30 minutes, then improves (requires dose adjustments). Q. How does human body use oral in-take of dopamine ? A. Oral in-take of dopamine is metabolized, primarily by the liver. Q. What is Dementia ? A. Dementia is a loss of intellectual abilities previously attained (memory, judgement, abstract thinking); severe enough to interfere with social and/or occupational functioning. Memory loss is crucial. Q. Is it true that dementia is the side-effect of the medications used in Parkinson's disease ? A. Probably so. Dementia has a multiple etiology however, including depression which is quite common in PD, as the patient resorts to life-time in-take of dopamine, without ever getting better. www.doctorgarg.net Rayilyn Brown Board Member AZNPF Arizona Chapter National Parkinson's Foundation [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn